Brazil has 32 million children living in poverty, according to Unicef

At least 32 million girls and boys live in poverty in Brazil, according to data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), which corresponds to 63% of the total.

In addition, the figures show that the percentage of children and adolescents living in families with income below the extreme poverty line (less than $1.9 a day) reached in 2021 the highest level of the last five years: 16.1% .

The number of children and adolescents deprived of adequate food increased from 9.8 million to 13.7 million between 2020 and 2021. An increase of 3.9 million.

In an attempt to reverse this situation, Ação da Cidadania launched this week, for the third consecutive year, the campaign Brasil sem Fome. The goal is to collect and distribute food to families across the country, as a way to ensure the right to adequate food, especially in early childhood. In the last two years, the campaign collected 22 thousand tons of food.

“Betinho [idealizador da campanha, que começou em 2002] already said that democracy is incompatible with misery. As long as there is the challenge of overcoming hunger in the country, there is no way to guarantee that other rights are fulfilled. If a healthy brain uses 20% of the body’s energy and that energy comes from food, how will a hungry child be able to learn and do well in school? A body functions at its fullest when it is nourished. And healthy growth is only possible with a Brazil without hunger”, emphasizes Rodrigo Afonso, executive director of Ação da Cidadania.

A survey released by the Brazilian Research Network on Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security (Rede Penssan), in partnership with Ação da Cidadania, revealed that hunger in the country has doubled in families with children under ten years of age and is now present in 18, 1% of households with residents in this age group. Furthermore, in 37.8% of Brazilian households where children under the age of ten live, there is severe or moderate food insecurity.

Hunger by region of Brazil

The situation is even more serious in the North of the country, where 40% of households with residents in this age group suffer from a lack of food, and in the Northeast, where families from 7 of the 9 states also experience similar situations.

Another alarming data points out that, every day, on average, 11 children under five years old are hospitalized for malnutrition in Brazil, the highest average since 2012, according to the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP), based on information obtained through the Ministry of health. The Northeast region concentrates 36% of the cases, surpassing the other states of the country.

In addition to the lack of food, there is also the poor quality of products, which are cheaper but also promote malnutrition.

“The lack of money to buy food and the decrease in the quality of what is consumed are factors that confirm social inequality. Even if mothers and fathers stop eating or have reduced food intake so that their children can benefit, the association between child development and the effects of irregular nutrition can result in lower schooling and, consequently, fewer job opportunities, lower productivity and lower wages . Letting hunger prevent the realization of dreams is a violation of human dignity”, says Afonso.

Scenario in Brazil

Brazil even left the United Nations (UN) Hunger Map in 2014. However, eight years later, the UN announced the country’s return to this condition. According to the organization, the prevalence of severe food insecurity reached 15.4 million Brazilians, that is, 7.3% of the population, between 2019 and 2021.

A survey by Rede Penssan showed that, currently, 33.1 million Brazilians live with hunger in Brazil.

Donations to the campaign must be made on the website www.brasilsemfome.org.br.